Composer backs choir performing his work

One musical score. One choir. And the chance to meet the composer of that score.

A local church choir got a treat April 18 when the composer of its next production came to its rehearsal.

Kenneth Cope, who made a name for himself in Christian music circles and has 10 CDs to his credit, was in town to perform at Artemus Ham Hall that evening.

The youth choir was made up of young people ages 12 to 18 and represented two stakes of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: the Lakes Stake, 1801 S. Monte Cristo Way, and South Stake, 6601 W. Twain Ave.

Normally there are 50 in the choir but this day, spring break had the number on hand for rehearsal down to about three dozen.

The boyish-looking Cope dropped by to listen to the young people perform his work. But his hosts weren't about to let him languish in the back of the room.

Cope was invited to the lectern where he gave an impromptu talk on how his faith caused him to peruse Joseph Smith's writings in order to understand the prophet's life. Cope spent 12 to 14 hours a day for about six weeks researching the man.

Smith's history came alive in Cope's words. There were the five months Smith spent in prison, in a cell so small he could not stand upright in it. There was the bond he had with his brother, a bond so strong Hiram accompanied Joseph into a situation that both knew would result in death.

He learned Smith had nine children of his own and adopted two others. Only five children survived childhood, a point that Cope, a father of three, used for one of the songs, "Tiny Hands." He also learned Smith liked sledding, romping with his children and was a man who loved the Earth.

"It made me want to present to the world how human he was," Cope told the choir. "This was a man, not just a figure you see on a statue."

After the soft-spoken Cope addressed the young people, he listened to them warm up with scales. Then the principals, David Zobell in Joseph Smith's part and Emily Powell, as Emma, Smith's wife, sang one of his compositions. Nine-year-old Porter Sproul had a small part as a son. The choir used a CD for the background music, which was recorded with a full orchestra.

The youths later had a chance to ask Cope questions, including: the ages of his children, what instruments he plays, what he does when there's a mental block, and what his next project will be.

Cope had a question for them, too.

"How close are you to having this memorized?" he asked.

He explained that only by knowing the piece could they then reach out to the audience and connect on more than simply an auditory level. The audience should feel itself being pulled toward the stage, he said, and the performers should feel as though they're reaching out toward that audience.

"When that happens, it's magic," Cope said.

The youth choir will perform "My Servant Joseph" Sunday and again May 18 at the Las Vegas South Stake at 7 p.m. each day.

The performance is free and open to the public. For more information, call 367-3673.


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